


What's He Then That Says I Play the Villain?

by jo_anne_storm



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Feels, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-03
Updated: 2013-08-03
Packaged: 2017-12-22 07:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/910647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jo_anne_storm/pseuds/jo_anne_storm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look at Peter's motivations leading up the the events in 3x08, "Visionary".</p><p> </p><p> <i>And what's he then that says I play the villain?</i><br/><i>When this advice is free I give and honest,</i><br/><i>Probal to thinking and indeed the course</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	What's He Then That Says I Play the Villain?

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thanks to my beta, [Laura](http://archiveofourown.org/users/riverchic1998).
> 
> Both the title and the quote in the summary come from _Othello_.

Peter creeped silently into the vet clinic, thanking whatever gods looked out for werewolves that Deaton had not closed the mountain ash circle all the way. It was very sloppy of the emissary, and very unusual. He was usually so careful about that sort of thing.

Talia and the druid were in his office, talking in low voices. Peter stopped once he was close enough to hear them clearly. The smell of the clinic would cover his scent from his sister, antiseptic and too many animals in a confined space, cats and dogs and... Was that a fox? It overwhelmed a werewolf’s senses, even those of the great Talia Hale, alpha and full shifter extraordinaire.

“Do you ever watch the birds fly south, Talia,” the druid asked the alpha. “I quite enjoy doing so when I am able.”

“I usually focus on creatures closer to the ground,” Talia replied.

“A great deal can be gleaned from the flight of birds, from their songs and behaviors. It’s not a clear as some of the bloodier methods of divining the future, but I find that patience usually wins out.”

“And what do your birds tell you?” 

Peter could hear the amusement in his sister’s voice, but also respect. Deaton was one of her most trusted advisors, and one of her most closely guarded secrets. It had taken Peter three whole years to figure out who the emissary was. He could have figured it out much sooner, of course, if he did not have to hide his interest from Talia. She would assume that he was trying to overstep his position in the pack. She did not sense what he did, did not feel the pull. He was not supposed to be a lowly beta. He was destined for _more_ than that.

“The birds tell me nothing.” There was a smirk in the man’s voice. “But I can infer a few things. The stars tell me more. Changes are coming, Talia, and I fear not all of them are good.”

“You have told me before that change is neither good nor bad, Alan. Change is part of the balance.”

“Of all the times you listened to me, you chose that. You are correct, change is part of the balance. But I can still worry about the outcome.”

There was silence for several moments as Talia took this in. 

“The signs tell me that someone powerful is coming. A leader with a pure soul. A new player in our story.”

“A True Alpha,” Talia murmured, her voice slightly awwed. “That’s what you are saying, right? Do you think... Is it one of mine?”

“I can not say.”

“Can not, or will not?”

“ _Can not._ Or when such an event could occur. Signs for something so important could begin decades in advance. All I can tell right now is that a natural leader is coming and that he or she will manifest in a two hundred mile radius. It seems likely that it will happen near the surrounding ley lines.”

Peter clenched his hands into fists. A True Alpha. The last time one had manifested was over a hundred years ago. Despite Deaton’s demurring, it was obvious to him that it would be one of the Hale Pack. They had held the same territory for four generations. Of course it would be one of their pack.

Peter backed out of the clinic, once again careful to make no noise. His mind was whirling with thoughts. 

A True Alpha was going to rise in their pack. And once again Peter was afraid that the power would pass him by. Talia had gotten it when their father had died, simply because she had had the _luck_ to be older. Once Talia had the good grace to die, something he suspected would only happen when she was old and grey, Laura would take up the mantle and Peter would be left out in the figurative cold.

He had briefly considered killing his sister for the power, but dismissed it as being impractical. Even if he could get over his emotional attachment to Talia, he knew she could beat him one on one, which meant that a fair challenge was out of the question. He could use subterfuge, yes, but the rest of the family would realize what he had done the first time he flashed his eyes. Other packs might accept an alpha who came into power through trickery, but not the Hale Pack.

That left becoming a True Alpha.

It wouldn’t be that easy, of course. The power would seek out the best candidate, which Peter was self-aware enough to realize was not him. Laura was the obvious choice, strong of will and raised to be a leader, but he could not image that Fate would be so capricious as to bestow her with a power that she was already destined for.

Cora was still an unknown, too young to judge which way she would fall. She could prove to be a problem later, after she reached her maturity, especially with Talia influencing her to become strong. But that was something he could deal with later.

Jacob was the oldest member of the pack, the omega. The man was so submissive, to both weres and humans, that Peter could not even fathom him gaining status within the pack, much less becoming a True Alpha. 

Derek, though... Derek was the one he had to worry about. The boy had a kind heart and natural charisma, exactly the type of thing that could lead to Fate choosing him as the True Alpha. Derek was also naive and trusting, which Peter could work with. A word here, a hint there, and the boy would make a stupid mistake. 

He supposed that it was possible that Talia could Bite one of the human members of the pack, but that was unlikely given her lectures on keeping the pack small and easily hidden from humans and hunters.

An omega could wander in, but the few who did were always forced out by the Hale Pack.

No, Derek was the one Fate would pick, and the one that Peter would have to take care of. 

His chance came six months later, when his nephew started sniffing around a pretty human girl. Three other packs were also in town, trying to broker peace with a group of hunters. It afforded him several options for getting Derek out of the way.

He could toss his nephew in the path of the hunters. They were supposed to have a code, but Peter knew that the _code_ fell to the wayside during the heat of the moment. 

Or maybe he could convince Derek that the only way he could stay with the girl was if she was bitten by one of the other alphas. If the Bite took, then Derek would feel obligated to either join the girl in the other pack or attack the alpha to gain her freedom. One would result in his leaving, the other in his death. If the bite did not take, well... Derek never could stand to watch anything suffer. The boy constantly brought home strays to heal and coddle. He did what was necessary when it was apparent that there was no hope. A mercy killing of an innocent girl would take care of the problem nicely.

Yes, so many options. He could not decide which one he liked better.


End file.
